Alexander l



(No Model.)

A. L. BRYAN.

MOLE TRAP. I

No. 263,109. Patented Aug. 22, 1882.

I Juveni e)? dlexaWrZ.B2:ya/@ I V her. wnni UNTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALEXANDER BRYAN, OF EDGEWOOD, GEORGIA.

MOLE-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,109, dated August22, 1882.

" Application filed June 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BRYAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Edgewood,iu the county of De Kalb and State of Georgia, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mole-Traps,,.of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficientmole-trap adapted to be set over any desired portion of the ground wherea mole is likely to pass. a

The essential features of this invention are a drop provided with pinsor spears for penetrating the ground and transfixing the mole, apush-rod for guiding the drop and for actuating a trigger when theground upon which the push-rod rests is upheaved by the mole, atripping-lever which engages the trigger and upon which the bail ishung, and a counter-balance for maintaining the trigger and lever inengagement and the drop in an elevated position until the push-rod israised, all as hereinafter more fully set forth, and illustrated in theannexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trap,shown partly in vertical section. Fig. 2 represents the drop, thepush-rod, and the slotted tube.

Fig.3 illustrates a somewhat different form of supporting-frame.

The letter A indicates the weighted drop, which is provided upon itsunder side with any desired number of barbed or plane-pointed spears orpins B for penetrating the ground and transfixing the mole. This dropcan be made in a variety of ways. As herein shown it consists ofasheet-metal bucket having a wooden bottom for receiving the pins orspears and a centrally-located guide-tube passing through and secured inthe said bottom. The entire receptacle can, however, be made of wood ormetal; or, in lieu of such construction, the drop may consist of asolidbody having a vertical central bore.

In order to properlyweight the drop when it consists of a bucket oranalogous receptacle, earth, stones, or other weights can be placed init.

The drop is provided with a bail, O, which, when the trap is set, ishung upon the notched or hook-shaped inner end of a tripping-lever, D,pivoted in the upper part of the supporting-frame. The outer end of thetripping-lever is adapted to engage in a series of notches which areformed in the outer end of a'trigger, E, pivoted in the supporting-frameat a point below the tripping-lever.

A counterbalance, F, pivoted to the supporting-frame below the trigger,is provided with a bail, F, adapted to be engaged in a series ofnotches, E, that are formed in the edges of. the trigger opposite to theedge in which the notches for receiving the end of the tripping-leverare located. This counter-balance can consistof atray or receptaclesuitable for holding earth, stones, or other weights sufficient tonearly balance the drop.

The inner end of the trigger rests upon a short tube, Gr, and isprovided with a pin which enters the same. This said tube is fitted uponthe upper end of a vertical push-rod, H, which passes through the tubein the drop and guides it in its descent. The lower end of this rod isprovided with a foot, nut, or other enlarged base, which, when the trapis set, rests upon the surface of the ground.

In order to vary the distance between the trigger and the vertical guideand push rod H, the tube G is slotted longitudinally for a portion ofits length, and also formed with a se ries of transverse angular slots,g, along each side of the longitudinal slot 9.

The upper end of the push-rod, which is inserted in this slotted tube,is provided with a laterally-projecting stud or pin, h, adapted to andto be engaged in anyone of the angular slots or notches by turningeither the pushrod or the tube. In this way the tube can be adjustedupon the rod, so that when the trap is set the lower end of the rod willrest upon the ground and the inner end of the trigger rest upon theupper end of the tube.

The supporting-frame of this trap can be constructed in a variety ofways. As shown in Fig. 1, it consists of two supporting-rods, I and K,the former being adapted to be driven into the ground and the latter torest on the surface thereof. The rod K can have a nut or foot on itslower end, if preferred, or it could be sharpened and also driven'intothe ground. The upper portion, L, of the frame consists of an archconnected at one end with the rod or I a block or piece,'M, which issupported upon pass along the longitudinal slot in the tube standard K,andat its other end connected to posite set of notches.

the rod or standard I. The arch L is also formed with a mortise, L, inwhich the tripping-lever, the trigger, and the arm of thecounter-balance are pivoted.

- As shown in Fig. 3, the two standards are pivoted at their lower endsand both secured to an upper cross-bar, L upon which is fixed a block,N, and a casting, P, formed with suit-- able bearings, P, for the pivotsot' the tripping-lever, the trigger, and the arm of the counter-balance,is fastened to this said block.

In setting the trap itis placed over the line of seeds or the burrow ofa mole and the trigger set by engaging the tripping-lever in one of itsseries ot'notches, and also engaging the bail or cord of thecounter-balance in the op- The drop is raised and its bail hung upon thehook end of the tripping-lever, while the foot of the push-rod restsupon the ground and the inner end of the trigger rests upon the top endof the tube, which is connected with the push-rod. As the mole passesthrough its burrow or plows through the ground so as to form a new onethe ground will be upheaved sufficiently to lift the pushrod and therebyraise the inner end of the trigger. The cord or hail of thecounter-balance will then tilt back and the tripping-lever be freed fromengagement with the trigger, so that the inner end of the tripping-leverwill descend and the hail of the drop slip over the end of the lever,thereby allowing the drop to rapidly descend. The pins or spears of thedrop will then immediately penetrate the ground and transfix the mole.

What I claim is 1.. The combination, in a mole-trap, 0f the dropcarrying dowlrwardly-projecting transfixing pins or spears with thepush-rod passing through the drop, the tripping-lever upon which a hailconnected to the drop is hung, the trigger adapted to be engaged by thetripping-lever and to be actuated by the upward movement of thepush-rod, and the counterbalance for maintaining the tripping-lever andtrigger in engagement with each other when the trap is set,substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a mole-trap, of the drop with the trigger, thepush-rod passing through the drop, the slotted tube adjustably securedupon the upper end of the pushrod, and devices for setting the trigger,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

A. L. BRYAN.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. NoRRIs, J. A. RUTHERFORD.

